Employees from 15 local liquor stores have been cited for underage liquor sales as the result of a Paducah Police Department investigation.The investigation involved sending a man under the age of 21 into 26 local stores Friday to buy alcohol. Of those 26 businesses, 15 sold him alcohol and 11 refused, according to PPD.Capt. Brian Laird said the operation is something the department does periodically to ensure businesses are not violating the law.“We hadn’t done an operation like that in quite some time, and we do it to try to make sure the businesses are complying with the law. What we found was that several businesses were not,” Laird said, adding that they more often catch fewer businesses selling to underage buyers.The captain said that among the 15 that sold the alcohol, some asked for ID but then made the sale anyway, while others did not ask for proof of age.“If he was asked he showed an ID that said he was under 21, but many didn’t ask, they just sold him the alcohol,” he said.Laird noted that in Kentucky the IDs issued to people under 21 are vertical, making it easier to tell if someone is of age.“If you see (an ID) that is turned like that that should throw a red flag up that they are either under 21 or close to turning 21,” he said, adding that there is a grace period following the person’s 21st birthday, during which time they should be issued a horizontal license.One of the stores in which an employee was cited was Global Wine and Spirits on Clark’s River Road.The store’s owner, Vic Rachan, said he is usually careful to check IDs but will be more diligent in the future.After the police operation, Rachan said he reviewed the security footage and found that the employee who sold to the minor did ask for and check the ID. From what the employee said, and from what the video showed, Rachan said, the boy looked older than he was.“I just think she misread the date maybe,” he said. “He definitely looked older than 21. We’re usually very careful about that. We know we can lose our license over that kind of thing.”The owner also said he has ordered software for his stores that will require employees to scan a customer’s ID or enter the customer’s birth date manually before an alcohol sale can be completed.Another location checked on Friday was Roof Brothers, also on Clark’s River Road. The young man was refused when he attempted to purchase the alcohol.The store’s owner, Mike Roof, said his employees know selling to a minor is a serious offense and something they could be fired for doing.“We just check,” he said. “I don’t know what else to do. You just pay attention to what you’re doing. There’s no excuse for it. Just read the ID, and if they don’t have an ID, don’t sell to them.”Laird said employees who were cited are facing a class D misdemeanor that could result in a fine of up to $250 or no more than 90 days in jail. Next, the citations and the investigation will be handed over to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, which could decide to take action against the violating businesses. If pursued, punishment could result in fines or a suspension of their liquor license.Laird added that the 11 stores that refused to sell the alcohol were to be commended.“They were doing their due diligence, checking IDs and doing what they could to curtail underage drinking,” he said. “They were following the law, and that’s the ultimate goal.”Paducah Sun staff writer Genevieve Postlethwait contributed to this story.